Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-11-05
PITTSBURG B0BS Up AGAIN
THIS TIME WITH A SENSATION IN
THE ANARCHIST CASE.

A Carpenter Confesses That He Threw the
Haymarket Bomb--he Witnesses to the
Confession All Credible-Progress of the
Amnesty ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Chicago
People App"aiin. -Shsviteh Roars for
BIood-The Irepressible Train.
PITTsBURG, Pa, Nov 5-fhomas Owens,
an unpretentious carpenter at work on a
house at Homestead, fell from the roof of the
building and broke his neck Thursday Squire
Oeffner was depuIized to hold an Inquest
and has made report of his Investigations.
Owens, the deceased, it appears, came to
this city nearly year and a halt ago some
two or three days after the Haymarket riot
at Chicago. in a somewhat dllapidated con-
dition, representing himself to be a carpenter
out of job He at once secured work at
Homestead with j. r, Mullett, and since that
time has been working steadily alongside Of
man named Pietfer, also a carpenter.
When Owens began work he said he had just
come from Chicago, where he had brother
living, and seemed nervous and startled at
everything
oIt udN Ntillt ttlitI dllti N'NtllH NFlt ut
work an officer came to Homestead in search
of a man on a charge of desertion. Seeing
Owens, and not knowing what his man
looked like, the officer asked Mr.. Mullett who
Owens was, and was told, whereupon he went
away The men at work heard that the off
Ger had asked who Owens was, and out of
mischief told him that officer was after
him. He became very much excited, and
went to Mr.. Mullett at once, wanting what
pay was due him, and expressing desire to
get away from Homestead as soon as posi-
BILE, but when assured that he was not the
man the officer wanted he went to work
again, seemingly contented
This conduct interested Mr. Peiffer, who
was rooming as well as working in his COM
pany, and at the first opportunity he began a
systematic inquiry of Owens as to his cause
of alarm. In this conversation Peiffer swore
before Squire Oeffner in the course of the in
quest Thursday that Thomas Owens said:
Il am very sorry for those Anarchists in
Chicago who are now in Jail charged with
throwing the bomb at the Haymarket riot
There are others outside who are more to
blame than they. was at the Haymarket
riot, and am an Anarchist and say that |
threw DoInD IN Cnat riot
Peiffer was cautioned to keep the statement
a secret, snd for that reason he did not tell
the story until after the death of Owens The
way the story happened TO come out was that
all the men employed on the building were
standing around the 'Squire's Office having
bean summoned there as witnesses in the
Owens inquest, and while there Peiffer and
Mullett began talking of this story. Il heard
their remarks said the Squire to a reporter,
"and Immediately called Peiffer to the stand,
swore him. and although it had nothing to do
with the case of Owens death, yet under oath
he told the story have Just related"
Impressed by the statement of Peitfer, the
Squire held an examina ion OF tine effects of
the deceased. In his trunk were found a
number of letters one of which was from a
brother, cautioning him not to write home
for fear his letters might be intercepted and
his whereabouts thus revealed, telling him
that his old home was watched, and advising
him to act with caution and put as great a
distance as possible between himself and Chi
cago.
Charles Dudgin, a contractor and builder,
and reputable citizen of Homestead, told The
Dispatch reporter that he was we'll acquaint-
ed with Owens in Chicago. He first met him
at the Pittsburg house, 50 West Adams
street, Chicago, on Oct 0, 1885. They be-
came firm friends, and were frequently to-
gsther. He was with Owens few days be-
fore the riot, aud met him once on the street
after that fearful night Owens was an en-
thusiastic Anarchist and attended all their
| meetings
Capt Mullett, the owner of considerable
| property at Homestead and regarded as g
man of veracity, stated that Owens had con
fessed to him that he had thrown the bomb
| Owens lived at Mullett's house from the
time he came to Homestead, over year ago
and was man of steady habits. During
the visit of Mrs Parsons to Pittshurg, abou
a year ago, Owens quit work and remained
with her until she left the city
| Among his effects were found number Of
letters and photograph of himself taken by
NJ. j. Crowley, of West Adams street, Chi
cago. One of the letters was from his sister
living in South Wales, in which she said
Father says not to have anything to do viii
those Socialists They are bad people"
The veracity of Squire Oeffner, Mr. Peiffe
and Mr.. Mullett is unquestioned. They ar,
all men of high standing in the community